For the past few days, Seraphina Sterling and Kimberly Jennings had been waking up very early. They had been staying at a small inn for nearly a week now, with no luck finding a suitable house. Following her memories, Seraphina had spent the last few days exploring every corner of Tollan Town, paying special attention to the areas she recalled were slated for demolition.
The property was a bit remote—just a one-story house—but it sat on a large plot of land, was incredibly spacious, and even came with a vegetable garden. Seraphina Sterling fell in love with it at first sight. 'If this place gets bought out for demolition,' she thought, 'the compensation fee would be at least a million. And with the right negotiation, that price could go even higher.' The only problem was figuring out how to convince Kimberly Jennings to buy it.
As the days slipped by, Seraphina Sterling grew anxious. If her memory served her right, it wouldn't be long before tourism projects in the area began to take off. The construction of a new resort would be put on the agenda, and by then, house prices would skyrocket.
"Seraphina, you and Miss Morgan have been looking at houses for days now. Haven't you decided which one to buy yet? You've seen practically every house for sale in town. If you don't find something suitable soon, there won't be anything left!"
After a full morning of walking, Summer was tired too. She was the daughter of the owner of the inn where they were staying. For the past several days, she had been the one taking Kimberly Jennings and her daughter to look at houses, so they had gotten to know each other quite well.
"I did see one I like. It's that one-story house near the Tollan River, the one with the huge yard. But I'm worried Mom won't like it. She's probably used to living in high-rises. If we buy a bungalow, I'm afraid she'll have a hard time adjusting." Seraphina sighed. 'No one wants to get settled more than I do. We need to find a place to live before we can do anything else.'
"That house is on the far eastern edge of town. It's huge, yeah, but it's pretty remote, and the house itself is a little old. Why do you like it so much? I figured someone from the big city would prefer a high-rise!" Summer said, looking at her with surprise.
"What's so great about high-rises? That house might be a little old, but it's quiet, and there's so much open space. We could plant flowers and all sorts of things, like our own private garden. Wouldn't that be beautiful?" Seraphina's soft voice was filled with boundless yearning. In reality, her mind was filled with visions of stacks and stacks of money.
Kimberly Jennings walked over with two bowls of noodles. "If you like that place, then Mom will buy it. All that matters is that you're happy." 'I wanted to get her a nicer place, which is why I was looking at apartments,' she thought. 'But if she likes the bungalow, that's perfect. The price is lower, so we can save a little more. We might need the money for Seraphina's school expenses later on.'
"Mom, you're the best! I love you so much!" Seraphina Sterling threw herself into Kimberly Jennings's arms. 'In my past life, I was so withdrawn that I neglected Mom. Then, I poured all my energy into Justin Hale and had even less time to care for her. This life, I'm going to make it all up to her!'
Kimberly Jennings was happy, but also a little embarrassed. "You're a grown girl now, why are you still acting like a child? Don't let Summer see you and make fun of you!"
"I'm not laughing, I'm not! I'm just jealous. What's there to laugh about?" Summer said, waving her hands. Out of Kimberly Jennings's line of sight, she flashed a V-for-victory sign at Seraphina Sterling. Not knowing how else to get her mother to agree to buy the bungalow, Seraphina had cooked up this little scheme with Summer.
A house that size for nearly seventy thousand dollars was a steal. They thought the deal would go through smoothly, but when it came time to buy, a problem arose.
"Lynch, if you know what's good for you, you'll sell this house to me, no questions asked. Fifty thousand dollars is a generous offer! Don't piss me off. And don't think I can't find your daughter just because you sent her to school in the city. It'd be a real shame if she had an 'accident'—things like that are all too common! Anyone who crosses me, Cheney, never meets a good end!" A thug with bleached-blond hair swaggered over, a few of his cronies in tow.
"Cheney, you're too late. I've already promised to sell the house to this lady," Lynch said. Though he was afraid, the prospect of an extra twenty thousand dollars forced him to stand his ground. "She agreed to buy it for seventy thousand dollars."
Hearing that someone was trying to snatch the house from him, Cheney shot a vicious glare at Kimberly Jennings. "Who the hell is this bitch, daring to go against me? Don't you know who I am? You should ask around Tollan Town what happens to people who cross Cheney!"
Kimberly Jennings might have been a woman, but she was a matriarch from a wealthy family, accustomed to high-stakes situations. A few local thugs weren't enough to intimidate her. She simply smiled faintly. "My apologies, but I've never heard of anyone named Cheney. When it comes to business, it's about a willing buyer and a willing seller. The highest bidder wins. What, are you planning to take it by force? Tollan may be a small town, but surely it's not so lawless that your word is the only law!"
'Mom is so amazing! Powerful! A total badass!' Seraphina Sterling silently applauded in her heart.
"You bitch! How dare you talk to Cheney like that?" Two of Cheney's goons lunged forward to slap Kimberly Jennings. But Seraphina Sterling snatched a fruit platter from the table and, without a moment's hesitation, smashed it over their heads. Her movements were fluid, a single, seamless motion. CRASH! The platter shattered on impact, and blood trickled from both thugs' foreheads.
Silence.
An unprecedented silence.
Summer and Lynch stared at each other, their eyes wide. They were stunned by what Seraphina Sterling had just done. She was the first person in Tollan Town to ever stand up to Cheney.
Seraphina Sterling smiled warmly, a picture of pure, sincere innocence. "Oh, I'm so sorry. My hand slipped! Your faces are just... such an offense to the human species. You startled me."
...
'Could you at least think of a better excuse?' Summer thought, completely speechless.
"You actually hit me! You fucking bitch! I'll kill you!" Humiliated at being injured by a young girl, the two thugs felt they had lost all face. They grabbed wooden clubs and swung violently at Seraphina Sterling.
"Seraphina—"
The color drained from Summer and Kimberly Jennings's faces. A blow from a club like that would leave a person crippled, if not half-dead—especially a young girl like Seraphina.
SWISH! A sharp fruit knife flew between the two thugs, zipped past Cheney's ear, and embedded itself deep in the doorframe.
The two thugs nearly wet themselves in terror. The clubs hadn't even left their hands before their legs gave out and they crumpled to their knees. As for Cheney, he was desperately trying to maintain his tough-guy facade, but Seraphina Sterling didn't miss his trembling legs.
"My apologies," Seraphina said, still wearing that same warm smile. "They rushed at me so suddenly, I got scared. My hand slipped again." But this time, no one dared to make a move.
'Lady, we're the ones who are scared, okay?!' the two thugs on the floor wailed internally.
"So you've got a few tricks," Cheney snarled, regaining some of his composure. His expression turned even more savage. "But you're all alone, and there are a lot of us. You think you can take us all on by yourself? I told you, people who cross me never meet a good end!"